Hockey And Disc Golf? Let's Learn More About DD Team Member Casey DeSmith

You may remember a picture that went viral a few months ago within the disc golf world, as Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith was seen with a disc golf basket on his helmet. Although he’s only been throwing discs for about three years, his love for the sport grew instantly and was so strong that he just had to represent it on the ice.

An Instant Obsession

Disc golf fans everywhere can thank Casey’s Uncle Matt for introducing him to the sport, as a YouTube video search gone wrong brought about a pretty incredible set of events. While searching online for something related to mini golf, Uncle Matt came across disc golf and thought it looked fun. He paid Casey a visit and the two of them, along with Casey’s dad, went out to purchase a few discs.

“From the moment I first tried it, I thought ‘I need to be good at this.’ It was the perfect sport for me. We played four rounds in one weekend,” Casey shared. Like so many others, the disc golf bug hit him hard and fast. This love for the game is what led him to include a disc golf basket on his helmet, and once that news spread across the internet, he started fielding calls from disc golf companies who wanted to sponsor him.

The Disc Golf Link

It’s obvious that DeSmith is a natural athlete, but how does he manage to stay sharp on the ice and also keep his disc golf skills in check? His goal during 2018 was to play at least one event, which he did at the Pittsburgh Flying Disc Open and placed 35th out of 48 in the Open field. In 2019, he hopes to work a few more tournaments into his schedule.

Casey notes there’s a mental edge that disc golf has provided him, one that he finds himself turning to when on the ice, “When I go out and play disc golf if I’m playing poorly, managing frustration and staying focused is important. It’s the same concept where if a goal or two goes in, how do you not let it get out of control?”

What’s Next?

When he’s not playing hockey, Casey loves to visit Maple Hill, Salmon Falls DGC in his hometown of Rochester, New Hampshire, and Moraine State Park in Portersville, PA. You can find him almost always bagging his three favorite discs: the Enforcer, an EMAC Truth, and the Warden. With an upcoming wedding in the summer of 2019 and a busy training schedule with the Penguins, you can bet that Casey will still be out on the course improving upon his disc golf skills.

So far it’s been awesome to have him as a part of the DD family, especially since his love for the game is so apparent, “[Getting sponsored] was very unexpected. I didn’t put the disc golf basket on my mask to try to get sponsored, I just love the sport and wanted people to know about it.” Thanks for spreading the disc golf love Casey and we look forward to seeing what 2019 brings!